RE: Mixing metaphors?

["Butler, Darren J CTR USAF AFMC 584 CBSS/GBHDB" <Darren -dot- Butler -dot- ctr -at- Robins -dot- af -dot- mil>]

Hi Deborah,
Actually, this would be changing to a gift horse of a different color in
mid stream, so be careful not to look it in the mouth.

You have a point about "sides and edges" but the one hand/other hand
metaphor is so common, I doubt any reader would even notice the
disconnect between swords and hands, both convey the concept of
conflicting truths.

'Reminds me of a favorite R.E.M. song'

"The biggest wagon is the empty wagon is the noisiest. - from Little
America

-Darren


-----Original Message-----
From:
techwr-l-bounces+darren -dot- butler -dot- ctr=robins -dot- af -dot- mil -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+darren -dot- butler -dot- ctr=robins -dot- af -dot- mil -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- 
com] On Behalf Of Deborah Hemstreet
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 3:19 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Mixing metaphors?

OK, Metaphors drive me nuts, and as my family will testify, I always get
them mixed up...
So, here is another question for you all.

A client insists that I talk about something being a "two-edged sword"  
(they had written double edged, I can fix that!).

Then they want the text to read, "On the one hand... ; on the other
hand..." But if its a two edged sword, shouldn't it be one side or edge
vs the other? And that does not sound right.

How would you handle the sentence (being gentle on the client)?

Thanks!

Deborah
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